Otherworldly Infection
by Shadow Star.EXE
Summary: This is more then your basic things-that-go-bump-in-the-night nightmare. It's much more deadly...and nothing's stopping it." Discontinued forever.
1. A fatal mistake

**I've been waiting to start this forever. This thing is the one story I've ever been so excited to start and write. It's also the first story I ever planned out. O.o; Strange, I know.**

**This is the only chapter that will have author's notes BEFORE the chapter begins. I just wanted to take the time to explain how exactly I'll be writing this.**

**This story is a very unique story. Many people have made lists of songs that would appear, if the story itself had a soundtrack. Well, I've decided to switch things around and give this story its own soundtrack, which will be put up for download eventually. Before each chapter begins, you will see the names of songs that are the most suited and/or the main theme music for that chapter. **

**With that said, let's go!**

_**Otherworldly Infection  
**__A proud presentation by the infamous CeleBaby20  
__**-&-  
Rating Warnings for the ENTIRE story: Blood, Gore, Language, Character deaths, Violence.**_

__**Themes for this chapter: Dead is the New Alive, Devils Never Cry**

**Chapter One: A fatal mistake**

_Blue on red, green on purple, yellow on white..._

Busy hands etched out a code on a computer screen, trying to concentrate on the results before them. The hands then came up to cup a very bored looking face of a scientist, who was working hard on a top secret experiment. Around him were several other scientists who were going on with their own tasks. The scientist who was working on coloured codes stretched and called his boss over.

"Sir, the experiment is almost ready. Test subject Delta is secured and ready to recieve the prototype viral injection."

A smirking, taller man approached the scientist. The smaller scientist quickly turned his face away and rolled his eyes. His boss hasn't stopped acting cocky ever since he had murdered the princess two months ago. Because of that, the entire lab wasn't permitted to rest on their projects. His boss, Xanon Dandral, had to be the cockiest son of a bitch alive.

"Let us proceed with the injections, then. I can hardly wait to see the end results of this," Xanon said with a hint of excitement.

"Yes sir," the scientist replied. Xanon went over to the test room window to watch. The scientist shook his head and monitored his fellow researchers. It was a pitiful sight, really. Since the murder of the princess, everyone felt like they just had to work harder. Their wings were drooping and their eyes had black circles under them. Many of them had not been eating properly and were skinny. The lack of food, thanks to one of their generals, had made all the Devils weak and sick. The worst part was the weakest were actually thrown into the River Styx. Those who dared to complain were deemed as a traitor and sentenced to the end of the afterlife.

_"My own sister was one of them...I'm starting to think that maybe it would have been better for the princess to just take the throne...even if she wasn't pure blooded. I honestly think that the Medusa loyalists are blind and putting their faith in the seven generals is a big mistake. Food has just decreased, taxes are higher and the summons of various men and women to the palace can't be a coincidence...maybe I was only working hard because I expected the princess to take the throne...given the treatment, though, I bet she wouldn't have wanted to..."_

"Seras! Get over here! I am not a patient man!!" Xanon yelled. The sudden interruption of silence had caused several scientists to jump and a few of them glared at Seras for making the boss yell. Seras casually walked over and stood near his partner, a lanky Devil by the name of Ber. The two of them strapped on their heavy duty gloves and nodded to one another.

_"Ber is a Medusa loyalist...most of the people here are. Only a few of them are like me. I wish I could talk to Ber about this a bit more..."_

Seras and Ber entered the dark room. Inside was a single test tube with a figure held in it. Ber drained the liquid and Seras opened the test tube to steady the figure. He studied the figure before him carefully. It was a blond man, a human they had been ordered to steal and preform tests on. Seras didn't understand why this particular man, but Xanon made a big deal about it. He said there was no better test subject then this filthy specimen. Seras didn't care, as long as this damn project would just finish up.

The man uttered a small cry of surprise. He had been asleep in the test tube until he finally felt the cold. The Devil before him put on an emotionless mask and said he was sorry. Before the man could register what was happening, he felt two needles dig into his arms. The injection was so cold! What were they doing to him?

Seras and Ber slowly pushed the syringe down, releasing the pulsing black liquid into the human's blood. The liquid itself was designed so that it would be a matter of seconds for it to travel through the bloodstream completely. The man screamed as the syringe was emptied and Seras and Ber quickly threw them aside. Xanon was watching through a one way glass on the other side, and his smirk grew wider and wider.

_"At last!! I have completed the ultimate weapon against Heaven! Goddess Medusa, you will be so proud!!"_

Ber and Seras pulled off their gloves and studied their test tube subject. The man was having a seizure of some sort and wouldn't stop twitching. He began coughing up insane amounts of blood and screaming for the pain to stop.

"Should we stabalize him?" Ber asked Seras.

"No, our task now is to observe and hold him down only when necessary. Their are others also observing and taking notes," Seras replied.

Suddenly the subject stopped moving. There was no sound in the room, aside from Ber's and Seras's breathing. Not even a single breath was being drawn by the human. Seras wondered if he was dead. Was the injection a...failure?

Ber sighed. He knelt down to check the pulse of the human...

...and suddenly got his head torn off.

"Ber!" Seras screamed. But his gaze was fixed upon the mutating test subject he had injected. Seras backed away, thinking _oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..._

The human's left arm began to grow longer and longer until it no longer resembled an arm, but rather a giant blade. His skin rippled and turned wrinkly and decayed looking. The human's eyes were moving too fast and suddenly rolled to the back of his head. After three seconds, the whites turned green.

The mutation continued. Black dragon-like wings sprouted from his back and took on a span that was much longer then any Devil's wingspan. He opened his mouth and four fangs, two on the bottom and two on the top, grew longer and longer until they were at least half an inch long. He stood up and Seras realized the mutation had added height to the human. He stood at least six feet tall.

The blond hair turned black and small chunks of it fell out onto the floor. The mutation even caused his male anatomy parts to shrivel up until they vanished into clumps of skin, which fell among the hair.

Xanon watched the scene calmly. He was expecting this completely.

_"Delta Nemesis...I have been waiting for you."_

Delta Nemesis stared blankly around the room and Seras prayed that he wouldn't see him. The monster suddenly grabbed Ber's body and began feasting on the blood and flesh that it had to offer, starting with the wings. Seras bolted for the door and pounded on the glass, but the door wouldn't open!

"Let me out!! LET ME OUT, XANON!!"

Xanon's voice came over a loudspeaker in the room. _"Don't you get it yet? Don't you get why I picked you and not anyone else to inject Delta Nemesis?"_

"Wh-what?!"

_"Your loyalty to our true queen was shaking...the signs were obvious, you pathetic piece of shit. I read some of your computer logs. I overheard you speaking about how wrong it was to lose your sister. I KNEW YOU WANTED THAT WRETCHED PRINCESS ON THE THRONE!!"_

"Xanon, you-!" Seras was cut off by Delta Nemesis's blade, which was poking out of his stomach.

_"Too bad you couldn't see clearly...it costed you and your partner's afterlife. But don't despair! You have offered a fine meal to Delta Nemesis! Thanks to both of your expendable bodies, my ultimate weapon against Heaven will grow stronger! I really must thank you, but alas, there is nothing I can do. Wait, perhaps there is...you'll get to see your sister again in the River Styx. Isn't that wonderful?"_

Delta Nemesis pierced through Seras's neck with his fangs. Seras glared, knowing his time had come. He wished that he had never agreed to work on this project...he wished he had never shown his feelings...there were too many regrets now.

_"Myua...at least we'll see each other again..."_

Seras sighed and closed his eyes. Delta Nemesis bit through his flesh and blood until Seras's spirit finally left his body.

Xanon was cackling madly. His fellow scientists around him were shaking with fear, knowing their project had finally been complete. They could hear Delta Nemesis breaking down the thick door until Xanon just opened it himself. The scientist used his wings to flap away, just nearly out of Delta's reach.

"He's still hungry. Guess what, everyone?! YOU'RE LUNCH!" he shouted, flying out of the main exit. Outside, Xanon activated an emergency lockdown he knew Delta Nemesis could break down and escape through. The scientists screamed as Delta Nemesis bit into their flesh and Xanon took in the screams with extreme pleasure. The mad scientist walked away without a single second thought.

It was hours before Delta Nemesis had finished his meal and exited the labs. The monster had no idea what to do next...but his hunger was very unsatisfied. He wanted more flesh to munch on, more blood to drain, more bones to snap. The hulking monster left the area, unsure of where to go...until he saw a blinding light further up.

_"Sensors indicate the smell of more food...prepare for investigation and food..."_

The monster followed the light until he had completely vanished. Post Apocalypse had only begun.

No one noticed the shuffling and moaning in the laboratories...

...or Seras's eyes reopening.

_**&-&-&-&**_

**Wow. I honestly think that was the craziest chapter I have ever written, besides crackfics. **

**You saw some Resident Evil things here, hm? Actually, none of you will know what I'm talking about if you've never played a game or did research.**

**Delta Nemesis is a poor rip off of the enemy Nemesis from Resident Evil 3. To be honest, the only thing that rips it off is the name. I created the after mutation appearance and powers all from my crazy brain.**

**Xanon Dandral is sorta like William Birkin, except without a wife and daughter. He's all my ideas. The name Xanon comes from "Xenon" which is an element on the periodic table. Dandral is a word I made up from the name Durandal, which is the sacred sword of fire in Fire Emblem 6 and 7.**

**Seras and Ber...well, Seras came from Hellsing and also RE4. Ber was a random name I made up when I was trying to think of a good name for a dead man, and then I saw my Winter **_**Ber**_**ry lotion. Hahaha, I am so clever...(gets shot) OW!!**

**Don't forget to review. If you do forget, Delta might visit your house tonight...**

**-CeleBaby20**


	2. Good Byes Hurt

_**Otherworldly Infection**_

**Themes for this chapter: When I'm Gone, Never Look Back, The One Star, Ten Thousand Fists**

_So hold me when I'm here. Right me when I'm wrong. Hold me when I'm scared. And love me when I'm gone._

_**-&-**_

**Chapter Two: Good Byes Hurt**

"BRIIIIIIING!!" went the alarm clock. An arm snaked out from under the bed covers and threw it into the wall.

"Pit, that wasn't very nice..." a female voice mumbled.

"Who cares? It's just an alarm clock," was the response. The female only sighed and threw the covers off both of them, revealing Pit Icarus and Zelda Harkinain. Zelda was in a short nightgown and Pit was dressed only in his boxers. Zelda stretched and yawned and Pit got off the bed.

"Besides, it's not like Master Hand can't afford to replace one alarm clock," the angel said. "The guy's mega rich, Zelda. Even richer then you and Peach!"

"Yeah, but I overheard him talking about financial problems...apparently, Crazy's been tearing everything expensive apart and it's costing him majorly to replace them," Zelda replied. She leaped over the side of the bed and picked up her housecoat from the floor where she had ditched it last night. "I wonder how he'll last without us? The tournament's finally over...I can't believe six months are up already."

"Yeah. And take a look at us. We're lucky we found each other in those six months," Pit said, smiling. Zelda smiled back.

"It's even luckier your mother is allowing me into Skyworld to meet her. I'm so excited about this, but a little nervous too...is there anything I should remember when I meet her? Like not to mention certain things or should I call her by a specific name..."

"Well..." Pit's face darkened. "One thing to remember is never mention I released Reenie from her prison. Mom would probably punish me severely for it..."

Zelda frowned. "But Reenie's dead. Well...that's what Samus and Snake say. I still hate to think it's true, but she's nowhere in sight..." the princess sighed. "I still wonder who killed her. Poor Link hasn't been the same since she vanished. He seems really intent on finding out the truth on what happened."

"I guess he feels a responsibility for her..." Pit shrugged. "Whatever. As long as it's not me."

"Pit, I love you dearly..." Zelda began. "But you can really be a stuck up jackass sometimes."

Pit flushed with embarrassment. "Just tell me if I start acting that way towards you. Sometimes I don't even realize it...and I don't want to hurt you. Not after everything two months ago when I almost lost you."

"I know. But I'm not the only one you need to act polite to. Remember last week when you snapped at Lucario?" Zelda asked.

"Hey, he had it coming," Pit argued. "My wings are not toys to pull on."

Zelda smiled. "But did you have to call him a blue numbnutted mutt?"

"Yes."

The princess merely rolled her eyes in response. "Enough of you. I'm going to go get ready. See you at breakfast, love," she said, giving her lover a kiss on the lips.

"Yeah, see you," Pit called as Zelda left his room.

_**&-&-&-&**_

Breakfast was huge. There were pancakes, waffles, cereal, oatmeal, steak (for Wolf), omelets and hash browns. It was the final breakfast before everyone was going home and it was a major good bye party as well. Flights were coming in before and after noon and everyone was in a fever to see their old friends and family.

"Seeing Paula again is going to be just great...I've really missed her," Ness said to Lucas.

"I know how you feel. I'm really looking forward to seeing Kumatora," Lucas replied. "I wonder how she's been? Her letters sorta paused and have been going off and on. I wonder what's up..."

"I bet she found someone else," Ness teased, earning him a punch from the blond.

"Now now, boys..." Olimar wandered over to the psi kids. "What appears to be the problem here? Young love getting you down?"

Lucas mumbled something completely inaudible and Ness glared at him. "Paula and I would never do that!"

"I said let's just go eat, not 'Ness and Paula go crazy in heat'!" Lucas retorted. Olimar chuckled.

"What's that? Ness and Paula go crazy in heat?" Popo jumped into the conversation. Nana, who was nearby, giggled loudly. This resulted in Ness and Popo getting into a minor shouting argument and Nana laughing at the whole thing. Olimar attempted to break it up, but due to his size he didn't appear very intimidating to the two boys. Lucas merely shrugged and walked away for some pancakes.

"FALCON PUNCH!!!"

"WAUGH!!" The two boys were sent flying across the room. Captain Douglas Falcon smirked his usual smirk and Nana stopped laughing. A Falcon Punch can do that; it scares crying babies into silence.

"Impressive..." Snake commented. Samus merely rolled her eyes. She was the only one in the place who wasn't afraid of a Falcon Punch. Her boyfriend was always trying to mimic it, though.

"Wario wants garlic!!" Wario was yelling at the kitchen crew.

"I'm sorry, Wario, but you ate it all last night. We simply don't have anymore..." a silver haired woman spoke softly.

"WARIO WANTS DA GARLIC, NAO!!!" Wario screamed. The woman glared at the fat, short man and leaned over the counter and smacked Wario in the face.

"I JUST TOLD YOU, WE'RE OUT!!!"

"Goddamnit..." Wario scratched his butt and wandered away. R.O.B and Mr. Game and Watch watched him leave.

"Beep beep beep boop?" R.O.B asked Game and Watch.

"Bwoop beep beep beeeeeeeeep," Game and Watch replied. They both made strange beeping noises, as if they were sharing a private joke and laughing. Donkey Kong and his pal, Diddy, stared at the two digital beings weirdly.

_"Donkey don't know what they're saying. Diddy, what do the two beeping things say?"_

_"Like I would know. Come on, I spotted some banana muffins Peach made over there."_

_"Banana? I wanna banana!!"_

Diddy rolled his eyes and led his pal away to the cafeteria lineup. They passed Lucario and Metaknight, who were having a private conversation.

"You were a formidable opponent."

"You as well. I've never seen anyone so fast before. Well, aside from the other blue furred creature..."

"Never compare me to that hedgehog. He and I are very different. I am far stronger and more skilled in fighting, and he just runs around like his butt is on fire."

"Hmph. Never doubt your opponents before you've had a chance to engage them in combat. I do not recall either of you locked in combat together during this time."

"We trained together. He and I compared our fighting tactics and moves then. Needless to say, I was not impressed with his ways of fighting."

Suddenly, the blue hedgehog came barreling out of nowhere and collided with the two conversing warriors. "WHOA, WATCH OUT!!" Lucario reacted fast and used his quick attack. Metaknight was thrown down by the force Lucario used and Sonic landed right on his mask. "Yo, sorry Metaknight!! I slipped on a banana peel!"

"Get OFF of me, you blue furred lunatic!!" Metaknight yelled. He threw Sonic down and straightened his mask and was horrified to see a crack in it. "You moron, you broke my mask!!"

"Hey, I said I was sorry! It was an accident!!" Sonic protested. Metaknight growled and pointed his sword at Sonic.

"I'll show YOU an accident!!"

"Metaknight, discipline!! Exercise discipline!!" Lucario said. He grabbed a hold of the armored puffball and held him up. Metaknight glared at Sonic through his mask and started taking deep breaths.

"Uh...listen, I'm looking for Link. Have you guys seen him?" Sonic asked nervously.

"No," Lucario answered. Metaknight didn't respond.

"Oh well...thanks anyway...and sorry again, Metaknight," Sonic said. He dashed off.

"I want to STRANGLE that hedgehog..."

"Easy, Metaknight..."

Sonic approached Ike and Peach, who were getting their food together. Ever since they made the news of their engagement known to all, they haven't been seen apart. Maybe they were afraid of a certain cafeteria incident repeating itself.

"Hey almost newlyweds," Sonic said.

"Morning, Sonic," Ike said.

"Hello Sonic," Peach smiled. "What's your rush? Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I'm about to, but Link's not here. I wanted one last chance to eat with him, Pit and Red before I go back to Station Square..." Sonic explained.

Peach's expression turned into a worried one. "Maybe he's outside again..."

"I know he is. I saw him out there after I woke up...he's been out there for a few hours now," Ike said. "He's at the grave site of the dark angel girl."

"Alright...thanks, man," Sonic said to Ike. "See you in a bit." The blue hedgehog headed out to the courtyard.

"I'm a bit worried about Link..." Peach said softly. "He's been really unhappy ever since the girl was killed. I overheard him talking to himself the other day...he thinks it's his fault she was killed. He kept on saying if only he hadn't gone with Master Hand, or at least stayed outside the room...maybe he could have saved her."

"The past can't be changed..." Ike shook his head. "It's going to give him a bit of time to get past the guilt trips he keeps sending himself on. Does he have anyone he's going home to?"

Peach shook her head. "And Zelda's not going to Hyrule either...she's going with Pit to meet his mother in Skyworld. Toonie doesn't belong in that world, he's in an alternate one. And Ganondorf and Link aren't really friends..." her voice trailed off. The couple grabbed the rest of their food in silence and went for their usual table.

True to Ike's words, Sonic found Link huddled on the grave site the smashers had dug for Reenie. Since they didn't actually have a body to bury, they just buried the bloodied arrow Samus found and the bloody tissues they had used to clean Link's room with. Link had insisted on giving her a proper memorial, but the smallest doubt in his mind still rested on the possibility Reenie was alive.

Link was on his knees, looking at the gravestone resting out of the ground. The words enscribed on there weren't much, but they told enough.

_Reenie Blackwing_

_Revealed "Star Icarus"._

_Cousin of Pit Icarus and friend to the smashers._

_May you Rest In Peace..._

No one knew how old she was or when she was born. Link had insisted on not giving a date of death, in case she really was alive. Though everyone else didn't believe him, they decided it was better to go by Link's wishes. He knew her better then anyone else in the place and it was obviously important to him.

"Link?" Sonic asked cautiously.

Link raised his head up and saw Sonic. "Oh, hey man..." he said. "Is it breakfast time already?"

"Yeah, dude," Sonic said, taking a seat next to Link. "Look, man...today's the day we all go home. You're going to have to let her go...she's gone and you won't be able to come here everyday to see her..."

"I know, Sonic," Link was hardly paying attention.

"Come on...let's get some grub," Sonic tugged on Link's arm. Link pulled away and Sonic felt his ears droop. "Link...come on..."

"I'll be there in five minutes."

"No, Link," Sonic grabbed his arm again. "Not the 'five minutes' excuse again. This is the last time you, me, Pit and Red are all gonna see each other like this. Let's make it last."

"Alright, fine..." Link stood up. "Can I have just one minute to say good bye then?"

"..." Sonic was unsure if Link was serious or just wanted to make him walk away. "Alright...but I'll stand over here to make sure that you come back to the castle for some food..."

Link rolled his eyes at Sonic who pretended not to notice. Sonic walked a few feet away and stood under a nearby tree, watching the hero. Link turned back to the grave and cast his eyes down.

"Reenie...I'm going to have to leave you alone...but I just _can't. _I just can't shake the feeling you're still alive and out there...why haven't you come back? I swear, I would have protected you if I could...

"Everyone else believes you're dead, but I don't. I know you're alive. And one day, I'm going to find you...and make you tell me why you didn't return and your story...Reenie...I swear, I'll find you. So please...wait for me."

Link finished his piece and sighed unhappily. Sonic walked over and patted him on the arm. "You did all you could, Link...come on, let's go eat."

Wordlessly, Link let Sonic lead him away.

_A few hours later..._

Planes were arriving to take the smashers and many tourists back home to their worlds. Friends, allies and even enemies were exchanging final words, hugs and handshakes. Cheers and calls were everywhere.

"The tournament was great this year!"

"Yeah, awesome fights!"

"See you all in the next tournament!!"

"Hope you'll be stronger next time!"

"Hey, that's MY suitcase!"

The smashers were all headed in various directions. Ness and Lucas were heading over to Onett to meet with their friends. The Kongs were returning to DK Isle to their friends and family. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser and Yoshi boarded the Mushroom Kingdom plane with one extra passenger: Ike. Peach and Ike had decided to get married in the Mushroom Kingdom, where they would eventually reign as king and queen.

Wario's destination was Diamond City. Toon Link was waiting near the ocean for Tetra and her crew to pick him up. Olimar was taking his rusty junkbucket, the Hocotate Ship, back home to Planet Hocotate. The Ice Climbers were heading home to their village, which was actually north of Onett. Captain Falcon had already taken his Falcon Flyer back to Mute City to prepare for the next F-ZERO grand prix. He urged everyone to watch TV and see him race on the big screen.

Marth was flying to Pherae in Elibe to visit Roy, his girlfriend and his family. Roy's father and the Marquess of Pherae, Eliwood, had taken to Marth like a second son and welcomed Marth into their home anytime. Marth was relieved to have his own memories back and he remembered that Lilina and Sheeda, though they looked strikingly alike, were NOT the same person.

The Starfox members and the Starwolf leader were using their own ways of getting home. Zelda and Pit were taking a private teleportation that allowed them to be transported up to Skyworld. Snake had decided to join Samus on her starship and assist her in bounty hunting.

Red and all the pokemon were returning home to Kanto. Sonic's destination was Station Square, where his friends lived and hung out in. Link and Ganondorf were the only ones going to Hyrule. The only two who remained behind with Master Hand and Crazy Hand were R.O.B and Mr. Game and Watch. The Hand siblings waved at the departing smashers, while the digital beings made beeping noises at everyone.

Link stared at the ground as his plane took off. He was finally leaving behind his bad memories, but his guilt still remained.

_"Reenie..."_

_**&-&-&-&**_

**Wow, uber long chapter. o.o**

**Couple of explanations, for those of you who don't get some things:**

**Yes, I KNOW Lucas and Ness are from separate times and worlds. But the Nowhere Islands that Lucas lives in will seem kinda empty without his mother and brother. I decided to send him with Ness instead, and have the Mother 3/Earthbound crew be one big happy family. Sue me.**

**Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong don't actually TALK...but in DK64, they sorta did. But since all they do in the Smash games is make monkey noises, I decided to make it so they only understand each other...like how pokemon speak another language, but they all understand each other. Catch my drift?**

**R.O.B and Game and Watch...come on, does anyone actually know where they live? **

**Altea is gone. It says so in all my research done on Marth. And YES, SHEEDA AND LILINA LOOK LIKE TWINS. IT'S FREAKY.**

**There's a Tales of Symphonia cameo here. Can you guess what it is? Hint: it has to do with Wario.**

**I've been working on a bunch of betas for this story. Meaning, I'm working hard to really make the horror factor work here. I've also had a lot of help from a sick and twisted minded ninja friend of mine (NINJA, I KNOW YOU'RE READING THIS. Hi. :D) that's turning my own ideas even sicker and more horror-ific.**

**Revieeeeeeeeeew!!**

**-CeleBaby20**

**P.S: My birthday's in three days. Squee!**


	3. Through the eyes of a monster

_**Otherworldly Infection**_

**Themes for this chapter: Almost Dead, Hell On Earth**

_Kill everything..._

_**&-&-&-&**_

**Chapter Three: Through the eyes of a monster**

_Date: July 30._

_Log Number 562. Subject: The ordered experiment_

_By the orders of Chief Xanon, we have begun our experiment to create the M Virus...a potion so powerful, it could make the dead rise again. Is such a feat truly possible? The boss says it will benefit all of the Underworld and the end results will bring about many days of paradise to all the Devils. It's so important that it's become the number one priority in the labs. In fact, Xanon has emphasized that this order has personally come from the seven stewards of the royalty. There's no denying the utmost importance of this experiment. _

_Date: August 2._

_Log Number 567: The guinea pig_

_It's only been a few days, but the M Virus appears to be coming along smoothly. Xanon has been pleased with results so far, which puts us all in safety of his temper. Today, he surprised us all by bringing a male human to the labs. What surprised us even more was that the human was alive. Xanon announced this human was to be our guinea pig for the M Virus._

_I'm against testing on humans, but if the M Virus could bring the dead back to life, he should have nothing to worry about._

_**&-&-&-&**_

_"Where am I now?" _

Delta Nemesis squinted in the dim light. It had been ages since he had seen sunlight last and it was almost blinding, dispite it being late evening.

What was he suppose to do now? Where was Xanon?

_"What...am I now?"_

Suddenly, he smelled flesh...someone was nearby. Someone who could satisfy him and his hunger.

The human thoughts vanished. The green orbs in his eye sockets rolled around wildly again and he bared his fangs.

_"Flesh...blood..."_

The time to feast had come. Nothing else mattered.

Fuck human thoughts. He wasn't human anymore. He's nothing but a monster now.

Delta Nemesis darted forward, ready to strike his prey. It didn't matter who it was, as long as it was alive and pulsing with rich, red blood.

His target came into view. It was a teenage boy with thick, spiky, brown hair. He wore a loose fitting t-shirt and baggy pants.

He never saw his death coming.

_**&-&-&-&**_

"You've GOT to tell me all about it!" a brunette gushed. "Come on, Red, you've been gone for months now. Don't tell me you fell for some hot girl over there."

Red laughed and swung an arm over his best friend and girlfriend. "No, Green. I promised you I wouldn't, remember? The tournament was amazing and interesting. I sure wish I had won, but it was amazing just BEING there," he said.

"I wish I could have been invited..." Green said dreamily. "But you are the Kanto champion, so it's no shocker it was you who got picked. Maybe if I beat you, they'll consider me instead."

"No way. You couldn't beat me if you had the legendary Arceus on your side. I rule that much!" Red smirked. Green punched him lightly, her face twisted into a mix of playful anger and real anger, with a slight hint of jealousy.

"Besides...then you'd be leaving me all alone. It's bad enough I had to leave you...but would you really leave me?" Red teased, although he was half serious.

Green thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. "No."

"Thought so..." Red leaned in and kissed Green on the lips. She responded by pulling him closer and carrying the kiss on longer.

It was ages...or was it only five minutes? ...until they heard a strange sound coming from outside the house. It sounded like someone was messily eating something quite loudly.

_Gulplish...gulplish...slurp...shluuuuuurp..._

"What was that?" Green whispered.

"Just ignore it..." Red whispered back and continued kissing her.

_aum...mmmmmmm...MMMMMMMMMMMMM...shluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp..._

"Red, those sounds are starting to freak me out..." Green said seriously.

Red sighed. "Alright, I'll open the window..." he said, getting off the couch and opening the living room window. The sun was more then halfway down, so there was enough light to see what was going on. The teenager scanned the area and his eyes fell on a figure hunched over a few feet away from his house. Red instantly recognized who it was.

"Hey, Blue! What are you doing?"

Blue didn't respond. His head kept bobbling up and down, like he was using his teeth to rip something up. Green came up next to Red and stared at Red's rival.

"What's he doing? Hey! BLUE! BLUUUUUUUUUUUE!!!" Green cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled.

Silence. Blue didn't even bother to acknowledge their presence.

"What's with him?" Red muttered.

"I've got a really bad feeling, Red..." Green trembled.

"Hold on..." Red picked up a pokeball and threw it into the living room. Squirtle popped out.

_"Squirtle?"_

"Use Water Gun on Blue!" Red commanded, pointing out the window. Squirtle was puzzled, but did what he was told. He hopped on the window pane and shot a stream of water at the teenager.

Red laughed. "I know he's going to be so pissed at me for that, but it was worth...huh? Wh..." the pokemon trainer's voice broke off in shock as he stared at his rival. Blue had turned stood up and turned so he was facing the window where Red, Green and Squirtle were staring at him from. Green screamed.

Blue's face was covered in blood, especially around his mouth. His eyes were completely blank and pupil less. Splatters of blood were caked all over his t-shirt. But that wasn't the worst of it.

There was a giant gash on the front of his body, indicated that someone...or something...had tried to kill him. It was no longer bleeding, but the gash was still quite red and very visible. And right there in his hand was what he had been chewing on: the corpse of a Raticate.

Green didn't stop screaming. Blue staggered forward, dropping the corpse, and Red noticed that he was dragging one of his legs instead of actually walking on it. Squirtle's face turned panicked and he jumped off the pane and dove into his pokeball.

"Red, shut the window!!" Green screamed. When Red didn't move, the brunette slammed the window shut and locked it. Blue came to the window and began banging on it, wanting entry.

"Wh...what's happened to him?!" Red finally spoke.

"I don't know, but we gotta call the police! It's clear that whatever's happened to him needs to be taken into authority hands!" Green said, anxiously. She ran to the phone and quickly dialed 911. While she spoke to the officer on the line, Red shuddered and studied his rival with a repulsive look. He didn't look alive at all. But how was someone _not living _walking around?

And more to the point, why was he chewing on the corpse of a Raticate? Unless...

Red fought the urge to throw up. The thought of Blue attacking a pokemon and killing it with his bare hands was too much for him and his stomach to bear. No human, in their right of mind, would ever do that. And Blue was usually in his right of mind...usually.

Red pulled the curtains together, shutting out the image of Blue's decayed form. Green hung up the phone with a look of hope on her face.

"They're sending someone over...phew."

"I better call Mom..." Red suddenly said. "If Blue's dangerous right now and she shows up before the cops do, she could be in real danger." He took the phone from Green and dialed his mother's cellphone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom. Uh, listen..."

"Oh, Red! I was just about to call you. I hope you don't mind, but I've decided to spend the night with my date tonight. Is that alright?"

"Ah..." Red was caught between telling her it was okay and telling her what just happened. "S-sure, Mom. You don't mind if I have Green spend the night with me?"

"Not at all. You're a grown boy and I trust you. No sex!"

"MOM!" Red yelled into the phone, turning a shade of his own name. "Alright, it's fine...so you won't be at home at all?"

"Nope. I'll be alright. Have a good night, honey."

"Right..." Red hung up the phone before he said something stupid. Like how his mom would be fine without the basic bed stuff from home.

"So what just happened?" Green asked anxiously.

"Well we don't have to worry about her coming home...she's spending the night with her date," Red explained. "I asked if you can stay with me so she doesn't freak out when she finds you here...I get the feeling you're not going to want to go home."

"Not with Blue out there, prowling around like a dead man..." Green mumbled. "Red, I'm really scared. What's gotten into him?"

"Hey..." Red moved closer and put his arms around her. "Whatever happens, I'll keep you safe. I've got my pokemon with me. And we're not to be taken lightly, trust me. Plus the cops are on their way. Nothing will happen to you. I promise."

"Alright..." Green buried her face into Red's shoulder and shuddered again. Red stroked her hair, not wanting to admit he was also afraid.

Afraid of Blue's strange behavior.

Afraid that Blue wasn't even alive.

Afraid that the same thing could happen to him and Green.

Red and Green sat on the couch, still holding each other, and waited for the police to show up. It was completely quiet, except for the rappings on the window.

_**&-&-&-&**_

When the call came from a teenage girl about "my boyfriend's rival is prowling around the house and he's bleeding and eating a corpse of a pokemon!!!", they expected it to be some sort of prank or a little love triangle gone wrong. That's why they only sent two officers, lightly armed, to Pallet Town. The small town was so quiet and peaceful and calls from there were as rare as a shiny Pikachu. The crisis couldn't be that bad.

At least that's what they thought.

When the officers pulled up to the house of Red Fire at 7:58 PM, they couldn't believe their eyes. The prowler the teenage girl had described really was bleeding. One of the officers, an experienced homicide detective, knew he was dead right away from the smell emitted from the boy. It didn't explain why he was up and walking about, though.

The other officer, a slightly younger and less experienced guy, walked up to the dead boy. By the look on his face, the older officer was willing to wager he was going to give a lecture on how wrong it was to invade people's privacy.

"Ryan, no!! Get away from him!" the older officer barked.

"Alex, I know what I'm doing...this punk just needs to be set straight," Ryan said calmly. He walked up to Blue and put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, son...OW! SON OF A BITCH!"

Alex drew his gun and walked over slowly. Ryan had pulled his hand back, howling in pain. His forearm was bleeding from an enormous bite Blue had given him. Alex quickly put his gun up and released the safety flick. "Don't move!!"

Blue showed no signs of understanding, and dove right into Ryan's other arm. Alex quickly pulled the trigger and released a bullet right into Blue's chest. The force blew him back and sent him right to the ground. Ryan grimaced and pulled his hand away to check the damage. His eyes widened and he screamed. "Alex!!"

"What?" Alex sounded upset. It was the first time he had to shoot to kill a teenager.

"L-look!" Ryan pointed to his wound. Instead of red blood, he was bleeding something _black. _"What just happened to me?! Who was that kid?"

"I have no idea...listen. Go call for backup in the car. Tell them you've been injured. I'm going to check on the kids," Alex said. He put his gun down and knocked on the door. "Officer Alex Rivers here! You kids okay?"

The door opened, revealing Red and Green with relieved looks on their faces. "Thank Arceus..." Green said.

"Thanks, officer. We're unhurt. Where's Blue?" Red asked.

"Over there. He had attacked my partner, so I...hey, you kids shouldn't look!" Alex quickly stopped them from looking in Blue's direction. Red noticed something, however.

"Hey...where's that Raticate corpse?"

"Huh?" Green looked around. "Maybe it wasn't dead. Maybe it was barely alive..." her voice trailed off.

"We're calling for some back up and an M.E to come and investigate your friend-"

"Rival," Red interrupted.

"-so you kids should head inside so you don't have to see this. We'll take care of everything," Alex said.

"What happened to Blue?" Green asked.

"I...I had to...neutralize him. I'm sorry," Alex said.

"Th-then why is he r-right behind you?" Green stammered.

Alex spun around. True to Green's words, Blue was staggering towards them. But he wasn't alone this time.

"Get away! Noooo!!" Red yelled. Alex drew his gun and whirled around. But to his surprise, the trigger was aimed right at his partner.

Ryan's eyes had spun to the back of his head and he was drooling that strange black liquid he had been bleeding out earlier. Alex hesitated and fired right at Ryan, at his head.

"Officer, look out!" Green shrieked, but it was too late. Blue had jumped right on Alex and began chewing on the back of his neck. Alex groaned as Blue worked his way around and bit into the main vein. Blood poured out like a geyser and Alex's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell forward. Green screamed and Red, not sure of his actions, grabbed Ryan's gun from his (hopefully) dead body. He aimed it at Blue's head, biting his lip.

"Red!!" Green's scared voice caused him to react. He pulled the trigger and watched as his rival fell down at last.

"Wh...why...what have...I done?"

"We had to protect ourselves, Red..." Green's sobbing voice pierced his thoughts again. Knowing, or believing, that officer Alex was also dead, the girl bent down and picked up the gun from the dead man's hand. "I've never shot one before, but..."

"We have to get out of here," Red stated. "We need to get far away from here."

"Where can we go?" Green asked tearfully.

Red thought carefully. "Let's go take refuge at the Indigo Plateau. I still hold rights to the title of Champion, so we can stay there for a while." He pulled out a pokeball and called out Charizard. The couple quickly got on the fire pokemon and flew off into the late evening sky.

They never saw Officer Alex get up.

_**&-&-&-&**_

**God, I LOVE this chapter. **

**Yeah, I've decided to make Delta Nemmy a little human inside, so he's an actual character and not a monster cutout. Let's face it: a monster cutout would be boring and better suited to the zombies. His full monster side takes over when he smells flesh, in case you haven't noticed.**

**Why do you think I said "Multiple Pairings" in the summary? Heheh, it's not only PitxZelda or IkexPeach. There's going to be a LOT more.**

**Anyone see why it's called **_**Otherworldly Infection **_**yet?**

**Alex and Ryan are the names of the two heroes in one of my favourite games, River City Ransom. I think I'll take a lot of names from various video games. It could be fun! A bunch of little cameos here and there... :D I'll turn it into a bit of a guessing game as well. **

**Oh...according to Regii, I need to have a health warning for this story. So here it is:**

_**WARNING: Story may cause heart attacks and seizures from the use of over epicness.**_

**To someone: Sorry. I didn't realize that not making Starfox and Starwolf into two words was offending, as well as Metaknight. I'll try and remember that for future chapters. I just tend to get lazy, so I mush the words together.**

**Also...the soundtrack is now available for download! Go look at my profile in the OI section. I hope it helps when you read. :D (I personally love tracks six, nine and sixteen the most.)**

**-CeleBaby20**

**PS: Happy New Year, people! Have a good 2009!**


	4. Death is a mercy

_**Otherworldly Infection**_

**Themes for this chapter: Hell on Earth, Mithos (Post Apocolypse)**

_All We Want is HELL ON EARTH._

_**&-&-&-&**_

**Chapter Four: Death is a mercy  
**

It was a scene out of a horror movie. The only difference was that this was completely and one hundred percent real.

It was exctly half an hour ago the police station in Virdian City had received a call for backup in Pallet Town for Officers Ryan and Alex. It seemed odd, but they had demanded medical back up and for the Medical Examiner to come immediately.

"IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!!!" were Officer Ryan's exact words, followed by some groaning and choking sounds. The transmission got cut off, which sent the whole station in a loud uproar. Many officers were scared that the peaceful little town of Pallet had suddenly gone bad enough to endanger the lives of two authority figures. Some thought a gang had claimed Pallet Town as their new terrictory (it was a report sent over by the Celadon City police that the bikers on Cycle Road were known to be acting rowdy and terrictorial, and unprotected small towns like Pallet were a source of concern for gang targets).

It seemed so unlikely, but appropriate, when a horrified officer spoke up. "I would rather be facing the meanest, toughest and most brutal bike gang then this..."

The chief executive of the station was even saying a _prayer. _No one in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn or Sinnoh truly believed that prayers solved anything and the only gods in their world were the legendary pokemon depicted by artists. Faith was something every resident entrusted in their friends, family, themselves and their pokemon partners.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Pallet Town had become a dangerous place. Homicidal _dead _pokemon were running amok and eating the flesh of humans. There were blood eyed Raticates, fang bearing Ratattas...even Pidgey, the gentlest of birds, were screeching and clawing at humans.

"We have to find any survivors and evacuate them out immediately..." one officer said.

"Are you crazy??" a rookie exclaimed. "I'm not going out there, even if my job depends on it. I value my life more!"

"But what about our comrades? Professor Oak? The Champion of the Indigo Plateau lives here too! They all need our help!"

"Screw it! Screw them! I'm not getting out of here!"

"In that case, give me your badge and gun..." the chief broke his prayer trance and turned around to face the selfish rookie. "We are public servents and we owe a duty to these people. You're not worthy of this badge or that uniform..."

"Gladly, chief." The rookie unpinned his badge and gave it to the older man. He then reached into his hollister and pulled out his handgun and passed that over to the man as well.

"Now get out of here."

"What?!" the former rookie officer sat paralyzed and stared at the chief.

"You're in a police vehicle and you're not an officer. You're breaking our station policies. We don't give rides to anyone, except criminals."

"But if I go out there...I'll get killed!" the man whined.

"Then you should have stayed a police officer and used your_ gun _in the name of your _badge _to help protect innocents," the chief retorted. "Now step out or I'll help you step out."

The rookie officer stared at his former boss before being shoved out by the officer who sat next to him. "You heard the man. Get out of here, Lloyd!" With a terrified look stuck on his face like glue, the rookie officer fell to the ground and was immediately noticed by the rampage of zombies. Lloyd reacted fast, getting to his feet and making a break for the Viridian Forest.

The chief sighed. "Coward...alright, men. Listen up. Our job here is to save as many of the innocent and alive people as we can find. Those creatures we're up against..."

"They're unlike anything we've ever faced..." a blond woman said. "But I'm willing to go out there with my gun blazing hot metal," she added. There was a chorus of agreement and the chief smiled tearfully. Death was an option, a risk that outweighed the chance of survival for all of them. But they were duty bound officers, servants to the public who put their lives at stake for the safety and well being of the innocent.

The sound of guns being loaded and safeties being flicked off echoed in the squad truck. Slowly and carefully, the officers got out one by one and faced the ambush of zombies. Three medics were lined up behind them, ready to help the injured.

At the smell of new flesh, the zombie horde, containing mostly pokemon, turned their heads towards the armed force. The police were horrified that there were some humans among them. The commanding officer, Dilan Ais, whispered a curse for the damned and the bullets flew. Screams and horrible screeches filled the air, turning the once peaceful Pallet Town into a graveyard for the dead and undead. The blond woman, Arlene Ven, was headed straight for Professor Oak's lab.

"Samuel Oak!! It's the police! There's been...AAAAAAAAAH!!" she screamed in terror. A rampage of pokemon, still alive, came running from the pokemon lab, taking the woman by surprise.

"Arlene!!" Dilan yelled. He ran over to the woman and was amazed at the number of pokemon she just found. "Where did these numbers come from?"

"The Oak lab!" Arlene gasped. "But I can't...can't find the professor!"

"Search around some more...protecting him is priority one," Dilan instructed. His blue eyes rested on Arlene. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yes, chief," Arlene replied. "What about the pokemon?"

"Set them free. They shouldn't have to face this terror," Dilan instructed. A small Pichu clung onto Arlene, not wanting to go anywhere.

_"Pi! Pipipichu!"_

Arlene stared at the baby pokemon and nodded. She looked at the other pokemon, who seemed to take on a similar expression. One Magmar stepped forward and cracked its knuckles.

"Chief...I think these pokemon want to help us fight."

"What?" Dilan shot another oncoming zombie and glanced at the group. "Are you sure?"

Arlene nodded, holding the baby Pichu close to her. It clung to her tightly and she could sense fear and determination all in one. Arlene felt a sense of protectiveness for this innocent pokemon and allowed it to stay on her shoulders. The Magmar, joined by a Tauros, a Starmie, a mother Kangaskhan with her baby still in her pouch, a Rhydon and an Alakazam began to chat in their language and the smaller pokemon stayed behind them. Magmar began to spit embers and the Starmie's jewel began to glow in the seven colours of the rainbow. The baby dove deep in its mother's pouch and stayed there. The Rhydon stomped angrily and the two human police officers were grateful it was on their side. Alakazam held both its spoons in its hands, ready to use telekinetic powers.

"I see..." Dilan said. "In that case-"

"CHIEF, BEHIND YOU!" Arlene yelled. Dilan spun around and fired a bullet into the brain of an oncoming undead Pidgey. The pokemon didn't wait. The six fully evolved and strongest ones dove forward, unleashing their most powerful attacks. Kangaskhan roared and shot a Hyper Beam from its mouth, eliminating a lot of the monsters. Rhydon jumped on both his feet and shook the very ground in a huge Earthquake that stopped all the fiends from going anywhere. Starmie's top point shook and Hydro Pump blasted out, stunning the zombies and confusing them greatly. Alakazam's eyes glowed, lifting several zombies up and stopping flying undead in their tracks. It yelled something out in pokemon and Magmar unleashed a scorching flamethrower and incinerated all the final foes.

It was over.

Cheers from the humans and pokemon rose quickly, celebrating the defeat. Dilan never saw this coming, but Arlene actually ran up and hugged him tightly. The baby Pichu squealed with delight.

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..._

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..._

"What was that?"

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..._

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..._

Arlene looked up and screamed. What was approaching them was an absolute nightmare no one could have seen coming. An entire swarm of zombie Beedrill was flying straight towards them. The sight of undead bugs with sharp jabs and glowing blood red eyes made Dilan shudder.

"Open fire! Magmar, use your flamethrower up there!"

_"MAG-" _The Magmar opened its mouth and prepared to strike...

...but all anyone could see was a Beedrill's jab impaling it through the stomach.

"!!" Dilan was shocked. These Beedrill were much faster than their normal state. Screams erupted all around him. Every human and pokemon was getting attacked.

"Arlene..."

"W-what is it?" Arlene stammered.

"RUN!" Dilan shouted, pushing Arlene away from him. She stumbled, still holding the tiny Pichu, and looked at her boss with questions.

"Arlene, please run...you have to live...run anywhere, just get away from this fucking hellhole!" Dilan screamed. He whirled around and began firing at any oncoming Beedrill. Arlene didn't know what to do: run far away or stay and try to protect the people. But Dilan turned to look at her again. _"JUST GO!"_

The woman burst into tears. She clutched the tiny Pichu close to her chest and ran away from the gruesome sight. The Pichu also sobbed. Its ears were much bigger and it could hear the screams of its friends from the lab crying and dying.

Dilan took one last look at the fleeing figure. He checked his gun and realised he only had one bullet left. If he ran after Arlene now, the swarm would chase them both down. Instead, he fled into a different direction, making the swarm chase after him. Once he lead them far enough, the big man sighed and put the gun to his head.

_"Arlene...I love you...one day...we'll meet again in heaven...until that day, please...just live..."_

He pulled the trigger and fell to the ground. The swarm caught up and began to feast on the dead flesh before them.

_**&-&-&-&**_

Arlene sobbed, rocking the Pichu back and forth. The Pichu itself was also crying uncontrollably. They had ran for an hour straight, without bothering to stop for a rest. Arlene had no idea where she was and she didn't care either. She had heard her comrades in arms die and the man she held closest to her heart had sacrificed himself to give her time to run. She had no idea if Dilan was alive or not, but she had her doubts.

"Hello! Are you alright?"

Arlene looked up. To her surprise, the one standing before her was the man she was told to look for and protect. "P-P-Professor Oak?"

Oak nodded. "You must be from the Virdian Police force...Pichu? Is that you?"

_"Pipichu..." _the Pichu whimpered.

"So you just came from Pallet Town?" Oak asked. Arlene nodded and Oak sighed. "Judging by your current state...Pallet Town was overtaken."

"Y-Yes..."

Oak shook his head. "Those pokemon at the lab...I only hope they're safe. I thought maybe they could be safe if I left the doors closed...tell me, are they okay?"

Arlene felt the words practically choke her throat. Pichu looked at the professor and shook its head.

"..." Oak's eyes were cast downward. "I see...I should have known better...I should have locked the door or put them all in their pokeballs...but I was so frantic to escape, I had to hurry."

"P-Professor...they're all...dead..." Arlene finally chocked out.

"I know...I should have expected it...come with me. I am on my way to the Indigo Plateau. This needs to be brought to Kanto's attention before more people die," Oak said. He held his hand out and Arlene took it. Together, they started the long walk towards the Plateau.

_**&-&-&-&**_

**HOLY SHIT, IT'S NOT DEAD. WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.**

**(cough) Long story short, a lot has happened. DA, my mom going to the hospital, me trying to find a job...**

**I'm still so mad at myself for not paying more attention to this. Everytime I did, I got distracted by someone or something.**

**I AM SO SORRY. I REALLY AM. THIS STORY IS NOT DEAD. JUST ASLEEP FOR LARGE PERIODS OF TIME.**

**PLEASE DON'T KILL ME.**

**Cameos in this chapter: Kingdom Hearts and one Tales of Symphonia. Cookies to anyone who finds them.**

**-Moonlit Assassin**


	5. Kanto's Final Hope

_**Otherworldly Infection**_

**Themes for this chapter: Vengeance is Mine (When a City Dies), Almost Dead**

_Only the strongest will survive  
-Blow Me Away, Breaking Benjamin (Halo 2 OST)_

_**&-&-&-&**_

**Chapter Five: Kanto's Final Hope**

Arlene thought that the walk from where Professor Oak had found her (her guess was the Virdian Forest) to the Indigo Plateau would never end. Every strange noise she heard, every shadow that moved made the terrified woman jump with fear. She kept looking behind her every five minutes, either afraid of an ambush from behind or a chance of seeing Dilan there, all safe and sound. The baby Pichu sadly guessed it was a bit of both.

The professor kept his eyes cast down. Arlene had to tell him of the death of his grandson shortly after they had begun the long walk and the professor nearly had a break down. Although she was well trained and told to keep herself calm in times like that, Arlene just couldn't offer the words she had been told to tell every relative of a victim. "We're sorry for your loss" just didn't seem to fit, especially since Arlene had suffered a huge loss as well. Though both grown adults wanted nothing more then to cry for who they had lost, both of them knew it wouldn't help and it would only waste precious seconds. Seconds that could be used to walk forward and tell the Elite Four of the danger and make a plan to save Kanto.

Optimism and the hope to save others were the only things that kept their feet moving.

Arlene finally spotted some light flooding out from the trees. She looked up and uttered a small gasp of relief: they had finally reached the Indigo Plateau! The baby Pichu on her shoulder squeaked with delight and even the professor sighed peacefully. The long part of the journey was over.

Professor Oak tried opening the door. To both their surprise, it was locked up tightly. "Hey!!" Arlene called, knocking on the door. "Please, let us in!!"

_"Pichu!" _the Pichu squeaked.

There was some silence and then some static came from the transmitter beside the door. When it cleared, a voice called out to them. _"You're not one of those fiends, are you? State your names and tell us if you're safe."_

"I'll handle this," Oak told Arlene. He pushed a button and spoke, "I am Professor Samuel Oak and I have a policewoman with me who came from Pallet Town and a mere Pichu. We are not a danger and we request admittance for our safety, please."

Silence. Then the voice returned. _"Professor Oak! Of course you may be admitted! Unlock the doors, Bruno!"_

A large shadow swept over the doors and the trio could hear locks and bolts being undone. The doors finally opened, revealing a large man with no shirt and tattered pants on the other side. Bruno, one of the Elite Four who specialized in fighting moves and pokemon, looked past the small group and quickly ushered them inside. Behind him, sitting at a table, were the other members of the Elite Four and the champion himself. The champion's arm was around a girl and Arlene guessed they were a couple.

"Professor...so good to see you," a tall, redhaired man said. He walked forward and shook hands with Oak. "Your survival right now was a main concern, but we thank Arceus in the sky that you're here and safe."

"Yes...thank you, Lance," Oak said nonchalantly.

"..." Lance remembered what Red had mentioned. His grandson, the former champion who had lost to the current champion, had become the walking, eating undead things that took over Pallet Town. The dragon trainer had wanted to show sympathy to the man who was his friend and a man he well respected, but Lorelei interrupted.

"Did either of you happen to see...any of those creatures on your way over?"

"No, ma'am," Arlene replied. "I left Pallet Town on my boss's orders...we were unfortunately attacked by a swarm of Beedrill. My unit had tried their hardest to fight, but these things were too fast and too strong...my unit was wiped out..."

"I believe there is something much more pressing on this matter..." an old woman spoke up. Everyone looked at her. "Has anyone stopped to consider how this has happened? Or why? What caused people, who appear to be dead, to suddenly start walking around without a soul?"

"I don't know," Red spoke up. "But it seemed to have started with Blue...he appeared to be dead when the first cops had shot him, but he got right back up. Even with a bullet to the chest..."

"That would kill anyone who wasn't dead before," Arlene spoke up. "Which can only mean he was dead when he was shot."

Professor Oak buried his face in his hands. The elderly woman got up from her chair and wrapped an arm around Oak, trying her hardest to comfort him.

Meanwhile, Bruno had flipped on the TV to the Kanto National News (KNN) and felt his heart skip a beat. "Everyone...you had better take a look at this..."

A live camera was flying in a helicopter above the sea route between Cinnabar Island and Pallet Town. On the little islets, dead sea pokemon had piled up and more were being washed up with each wave that splashed along the sides. In the small area where the elusive Tangula lived, just slightly south of Pallet, more and more pokemon were behaving savagely. Some of them had grown features that would otherwse NEVER be seen normally on their bodies.

_"With a bizzare twist of fate, the once peaceful town of Pallet, home to the renown Professor Oak and the Kanto Champion Red Fire, has been transformed into a land of savage beasts and dead littered everywhere. It has been confirmed by our news team that a unit from the Virdian Police Force has been massacred, but they don't appear to be down for good. Pallet Town has been forbidden for travelers to enter and we caution everyone to stay a hundred yards away from the area. Those in Virdian City, although not ordered, have already fled once some hostile pokemon started to appear along the edges of town. This is Star Destiny, reporting live from the skies above Pallet Town. Back to...OH NO! GET US OUT OF HERE!!"_

The screen suddenly began to shake and shift and sounds of a chopper trying to make an escape mingled with the terrified screams of the reporter and the pilot. The picture suddenly showed the face of a black, one eyed Fearow that was bleeding from the neck. It was obviously infected by whatever had happened upon Pallet. Suddenly the picture went black. Bruno turned the TV off and looked at everyone with a grim expression.

"It's spreading faster then we can account for. We have no choice but to evacuate Kanto."

"But what if they catch us before anyone can even leave?" Green spoke up. She had been silent this entire time, so everyone was startled to hear her speak. "I mean...look at what just happened on the news. That team hardly managed to get away before they were attacked..."

"The best choice would be to ready some heavily guarded boats and make for the Sevi Islands," Lorelei said. Four Island was her home and she was worried that the infection would spread there too. But they were far enough from the main lands, surrounded by several fast currents. It would be the best defense against those monsters.

"I agree," Lance said. "The Islands would be our best choice. We had also better warn Johto of this...it would be very possible for those creatures to cross over, even if the distance is far."

"I object," Agatha said. "Not to warning Johto, but the evacuation. There are too many people who are far from water's edge and it would take a miracle for all of them to escape unharmed. People in Pewter, Safferon, Cerulean and Celadon City...how do you propose we get them out of there? Flying pokemon? Helicopters? What if there are more of those creatures in the air? What is our defense for them?"

"How about they evacuate to Johto via the Magnet Train?" Bruno suggested. "It runs from Safferon to Goldenrod in Johto, and Goldenrod is a big city. We can contact Will and Karen out there and get them to put out a public notice." Will and Karen were two of Johto's representatives in the Pokemon League against competing trainers. They also were alternate battlers in case one of the main Elite Four couldn't battle for some reason.

"You are forgetting that Pewter City has to go through Mount Moon to get to Cerulean," Arlene said. "And they have to go through the Virdian Forest in another route. Pewter City is very isolated...is there a chance they could survive on their own?"

"Absolutely not," Oak finally spoke up. "Arlene, you saw the creatures...they're making their way to Virdian City. A few trees won't be able to stop them once they're finished there."

"I think I remember something," Red said. All eyes turned towards him and he flushed. "I...I had to shoot Blue when he got back up...but I shot him in the head. After that, he stayed down. Maybe...that could be the trick. Shooting them in the head."

"Where did you get the gun?" Arlene couldn't help but ask the question.

Red didn't answer, but Green did. "From the officers who had saved us...Alex Rivers and Ryan...I don't know his last name." She saw the bewildered look on the woman's face and quickly added, "It was for self defense! They...were already attacked and down when we took them...I'm so sorry...please don't get us in trouble!"

"There are bigger things to worry about, Green," Lance said patiently. "If what Red says is right, we should alert the Vermillion Police Station and any other force in Kanto about that method. I'll let them know to set up some choppers and for them to aim for the head of those things." He slipped away to the phones.

Arlene didn't say anything for a while. Red and Green felt a stab of guilt for taking something they shouldn't have even been touching, but did she really blame them? The teens uttered sighs of relief when the blond finally looked up and smiled at them.

"It was for self defense. You're absolutely right. I don't think you'll get into any trouble for wanting to protect yourselves when two officers were down and...dead in the line of duty."

"Thank you, ma'am," Green said. She bowed her head.

Lance returned. "I just spoke with Karen. She had been watching the news and knows what's happening. The Police force have promised to help everyone reach safety at once. by air or by water. Now we have one last problem in front of us..."

"Which is?" Lorelei asked.

"How do we get out of here ourselves?"

The question hung in the air, like a hovering cloud of smoke, that no one dared to breathe into without getting the wrong reaction. The question was going to be a difficult one to answer and even more difficult to put to work.

"Tohjo Falls."

Everyone looked at Red curiously. Tohjo Falls hadn't been used in many years and the pathway was very worn out. It was also very secluded...the perfect way to escape the horror here.

(So perfect that Agatha wondered why she hadn't thought of it.)

The group wordlessly began making preparations to leave. They stocked up on food, medicine and whatever else they could possibly find. Red kept the gun handy with him and Arlene even taught him and Green how to use it properly.

As they left the Indigo Plateau, the one thing that rested on everyone's mind was all one and the same.

_How did all of this happen?_

_**&-&-&-&**_

Meanwhile, Delta Nemesis had grown aware of hearing screams and cries of the fresh meat. His monster side had slowly vanished and his human thoughts had returned. The scent of the dead filled his nostrils and he was horrified at what he had done. He had to get out of here and fast!

His wings began to flap and he took off for the skies beyond where he was. To his surprise, his heavy weight was not difficult to carry at all. In fact, he was able to fly rather fast, proven by the distance he managed to get in such a short time. Kanto now looked like nothing more then a speck in the distance. Delta Nemesis simply shrugged his shoulders and continued flying. He was hoping to find Xanon, hoping that he could stop this awfulness and make him human agan. He didn't want to kill, to go insane when he smelled flesh, to be a monster! Oh please, anything but being a monster!

An image flashed in his mind, something that gripped the creature with fear. It was the face of a woman...someone beautiful and peaceful...it nearly gave his mind and body a better state. But the image turned into something terrifying: the woman's hair began to twist and flick and her beautiful face sneered at him. She opened her mouth and laughed, though there was no sound. The image scared him and made him fly even faster.

He had no sense of direction, but he appeared to be going in a direction with many mushroom hills in sight...

_**&-&-&-&**_

**Woo, I did it! Another chapter done in less then one month! HECK YEAH! ;D**

**But I got some bad news. And it's also good news, but it's bad news too. I finally got a job as a nanny, working every day of the week. I absolutely love the prospect of finally earning some money and being with a child, but this leaves me little to almost no time to write or update. I expect this job will go into the summer as well.**

**So now updates will probably take much longer to do. PLEASE DO NOT ABANDON ME, I SWEAR I WILL KEEP WRITING. I ask for your co-operation and thank you in advance.**

**Also, I'm bad. I told Midnight that I'd start the Mushroom Kingdom chapter here, but I had too many plot points I COULD NOT pass up. But if I carried on as is, I would have had waaay too long of a chapter here. WAY too long. I couldn't have that. I don't even think I could write that. o.o**

**No cameos here...for anyone who wondered, Arlene is Larxene from KH, Dilan is the Somebody name of Xaldin in KH and Lloyd was the Tales of Symphonia cameo from last chapter.**

**Though there is a slight self insertion. ;DDDD (runs)**

**Also, I'm majorly sorry. I focused too much on characters who are just minor in this story for the past two chapters. That's going to change next chapter. **

**-Moonlit Assassin**


	6. Enter the Mushroom King and Queen

_**Otherworldly Infection**_

**Themes for this chapter: Vengeance is Mine (When a City Dies), Hell on Earth, Almost Dead.**

_Exit light...enter night...take my hand. We're off to Never Neverland!  
-Enter Sandman, Metallica_

_**&-&-&-&**_

**Chapter Six: Enter The Mushroom King and Queen**

Hell had broken loose in the center of the Mushroom Kingdom. Toad Town, the capital city of the kingdom, screamed for their lives as a Toad ran into the small city yelling for a lock down of the town. "There's a MONSTER outside of town and he's huge!! And h-h-h-he..." the Toad suddenly threw up a large amount of blood and fainted dead away. No one had noticed a large bite mark on his arm. Everyone was too hysterical and panic ridden to care.

Toads of all shapes and sizes scattered and dashed right for their homes. The guards of the doors protecting the town quickly made a mad dash to seal the town up. A single Toad, who was in charge of reporting problems from town to the princess, charged to the castle as fast as his small feet could take him. It was lucky that the Mario Brothers were at the castle, helping Princess Peach and Sir Ike plan their wedding. With that in mind, the Toad felt much more at ease.

The Mario Brothers were the heroes everyone loved. Never once did they fail to save Peach or stop a disaster from happening.

While the messenger was away, the guards finished sealing all the heavy doors to town. The train station was closed and the scheduled run was canceled. There was much grumbling until the emergency lock down was made known to everyone. Then there was more panic and much more dashing towards the safety of their homes.

When the streets were deserted, except for a few door guards, a medic Toad approached the fainted Toad who had caused the ruckus in the first place. The Toad appeared to be sweating too much, even though the evening air was cool. The Medic mopped the sweat off and examined the fainted Toad carefully.

That's when he saw the massive bite mark. The Medic paled when he saw the pattern of the teeth marks. The marks stuck out everywhere. The attacker had to have very crooked teeth. No monster had ever had THAT crazy teeth before.

But while the Medic was too busy pondering over such a trivial matter, the fainted Toad groaned and hissed. His whole skin faded into a gray and sickly look and his fingernails sprouted claws. The Medic barely had time to react before the Toad slashed and just scraped his own arm.

"Oh my goodness!!" The Medic yelped. "Wh...what's happened to you?"

The Toad didn't respond, he just snarled at him. His once cheery eyes had faded into tiny, hollow pits of maniacal madness. The Medic Toad shuddered, torn between his duty and to run for his life. Unfortunately, his little dilemma cost him several precious seconds and the demonic Toad jumped on the Medic and began to tear open his throat. The Medic hardly had time to scream before his blood gushed up into the air like a geyser. The door guards grabbed their small spears for self defense and one had rushed forward to try and save the Medic Toad. The infected Toad turned around and jumped at the approaching guard, but landed on the outstretched spear with a sickening _squelch. _

"Mother of Mushrooms!!" the guard yelped. He threw his spear down and the infected zombie twitched and squirmed.

"We need our heroes..."

_**&-&-&-&**_

"Mama Mia!!" Mario exclaimed when the messenger relayed all the information to Peach, Ike and the Mario Brothers. Daisy, who was visiting to help plan Peach's wedding and one of her bridesmaids, shirked away in fear. Luigi was hysterical and Ike and Peach were in conflict.

"Mario...I don't know if it's a good idea to send you out there..." Peach said.

"Princess, I've-a dealt with monsters, death and much worse before-a," Mario replied. "Remember when we-a fought Count Bleck? Me and-a Luigi and-a Bowser were sent to-a the Underwhere while you were-a in the Overthere. Nothing could-a be worse than that!"

"Mario..." Peach started. But Mario was already grabbing his brother and heading out. Luigi wasn't exactly a willing companion and he kept trying to claw his way out of his brother's grip.

"Hang on!" Daisy shouted and ran over to Luigi. She took his hat off and stroked his hair softly. "Luigi...please help him. Just be careful and if it gets too dangerous, just come back here." With that bit of reassurance ingrained in Luigi, his confidence got a bit better, but he was still shaking. Daisy replaced his cap and kissed Luigi on his cheek.

"I'll wait for you here, okay? Be careful."

"A-A-A-A-Alright, Daisy..." Luigi blushed. He stood up taller and walked out of the castle with Mario. Daisy looked longingly after Luigi and turned back to the throne. Peach smiled at her close friend.

"Do I hear wedding bells?" she teased.

"Only if you mean yours," Daisy retorted.

Ike chuckled. He had met Daisy a few days earlier after he had arrived in the Kingdom. She was different from Peach, and yet very alike at the same time. She was a good girl for Luigi. Peach was secretly planning for two weddings, even though Luigi hadn't popped the question to Daisy yet. But he had confided in Mario about his intentions and he had confided in Peach, who (of course) confided in Ike.

Oh romance! Ike felt like he was turning into a total sap, but at least he was a sap with a lovely bride.

_**&-&-&-&**_

Mario and Luigi had split up and taken one half of the town each. It was a disaster...the infected Toad that had impaled itself was still moving around and causing a gruesome sight. Mario shuddered and thought, _"This could be the sickest thing I've-a ever dealt with..."_

The guards were still unharmed, which settled Mario's nerves a bit. He looked around and tried to find a way of putting the infected down for good. His eyes had settled on the Medic Toad, which the infected Toad was trying to _eat _but couldn't get close because the spear kept making it hard to kneel down and get close to the body. The sight would have been funny if it wasn't disturbing.

A guard came up to Mario. "Sir, the Medic has been dead for fifteen minutes now...we believe his head has been separated completely from his body. It might be best to figure out how to finish this one off..."

"Never!!" a hysterical Toad guard came running from Luigi's end of Toad Town with the green clad brother following him. "That's my brother! I won't let you kill him!"

"We don't have a-" The guard started to say when the ground began to shake. It stopped and then shook again. There was an ear splitting screech and something gray and blurry flew over the walls and landed in the town. The figure stood up and growled, his solid green eyes going from one person to another. It was Delta Nemesis.

Mario backed up and Luigi lost every shred of confidence he had earlier. The guards aimed their spears carefully, though they were shaking more than Luigi was. Delta Nemesis extended his blade and took all the guards down in one fell swish. The sounds of the dying Toads rose into the air and the blood flowed out until it touched Mario's shoes. The Mushroom Kingdom hero felt his rage increase and he cracked his knuckles.

"Stand-a back, Luigi!"

"Mario, noooooo!!" Luigi cried. But Mario didn't listen. He lept on Delta Nemesis and tried a stomp right on his head. Delta Nemesis roared in annoyance more than pain and he took a swung up with his blade. Mario jumped on the flat end and back flipped off the sword, sending it in motion to Delta's chest.

"I'll hold him off. Luigi, you-a must go! Tell Peach what's-a happened and get her to-a call for help!"

"M-M-M-Mario..." Luigi's teeth chattered. He backed away towards the castle direction, his eyes not leaving the terrifying monster.

Mario ran up and grabbed his brother. He began whirling around and around until he had enough momentum and threw Luigi in the direction of the castle. Luigi went flying but his gaze remained fixed down at Mario and the monster. Mario had turned back to Delta, rolled up his sleeves and got ready to make another jump. Delta growled and got ready to swing his sword again.

That was the last sight Luigi saw before he hit the castle window and landed in the throne room. The sudden impact and sick realization of everything that happened made Luigi dizzy and he passed out.

_**&-&-&-&**_

**I've rewritten the beginning so it has better description and wording. It's less awkward as well.**

**After more than half a year of being under hiatus, we're back! I plan to move ahead with the next chapter and keep going. Why? Cuz zombies are fun. :D**

**I know EXACTLY what happens next chapter. Now I just need to write it.**

**Until next chapter, keep infecting, folks! **

**-Moonlit Assassin and Delta Nemmy**


	7. A hero is lost

_**Otherworldly Infection**_

**Themes for this chapter: Vengeance is Mine (When a City Dies), Mithos, Presea.**

_Burning now, I bring you Hell!  
-Hell, Disturbed_

**Chapter Seven: A Hero is Lost**

The last thing Princess Peach, Princess Daisy and Ike, the future king of Mushrooms, expected was a broken window and the cause of it being Luigi hurled right through it.

Daisy had screamed when she looked up to see Luigi's shadow coming towards them through the window and was trying to rouse the green plumber from his sleep. Peach wanted to be calm, but she was frantic with worry for Mario.

Ike, on the other hand, was not a man to sit around and be worried. He grabbed his sword and announced he was going out. Mario and Toad Town were both in trouble and, as the future king, he had a responsibility to protect the citizens.

"Ike, it's not a good idea!" Peach protested. "Something terrible must be out there! You can't go alone!"

"Peach, I don't have a choice. I need to investigate what's happening. They're going to be my people someday. I have to do this for them," Ike replied. Before he could leave, Peach grabbed his arm.

"Let's at LEAST make a plan. Whatever threw Luigi all the way here from the sky must be immensely powerful. Oh!" Peach's eyes lit up. "I have an idea! Let's call Bowser!"

"BOWSER?!" Daisy, Toadsworth and Ike all shouted.

"Are you nuts?" Daisy asked.

"My dear, are you certain that is a wise choice?" Toadsworth added. "What if this is one of his plans?"

"Bowser is many things, but he wouldn't kill my people," Peach said calmly. "Even though he does kidnap me, he's not that evil. He's actually a really stubborn baby." She giggled. "He helped me and Mario in the fight against Count Bleck after a little persuasion. It can't hurt to try."

"I don't trust him, Peach," Ike said. His forehead was scrunched up in deep thought and his sword arm was twitching.

"But I do," Peach said. "I'll get TEC to contact him for me."

TEC, also known as TEC-XX, was the X-Nauts' supercomputer during their invasion and desire to open up the Thousand Year Door in Rogueport. He and Peach had grown close during Peach's kidnapping and being held hostage on the moon. After the base somehow survived a mass explosion, Peach had TEC brought down to Earth and installed in her castle on the same backup memory that had helped Mario escape the base after obtaining the Crystal Star. He was much happier in his new home and fully convinced he was finally 'perfect'. He was also happy to be serving Peach, though he didn't seem to take much of a liking to Ike.

Peach went up to her computer room and turned the lights on. TEC, who usually stayed asleep when the lights were off, woke up with a _whirr._

"Good evening, Princess Peach. How can I help you now?" TEC asked.

"Good evening, TEC," Peach smiled. "I need you to send a call to Bowser. We need his help for a crisis."

"A crisis?" TEC asked. Lights continued to flash around, indicating he was thinking. "Is something amiss?"

"We're under attack. Ike wants to go out by himself to try and stop the monster attacking. I don't feel right about it...I want Bowser's help," Peach informed her computer. TEC's lights continued to flash around before he finally agreed to the call. A telephone icon appeared on the screen and rang three times before it was answered. Baby Bowser's face appeared on the screen.

"Momma Peach?!"

"Junior, I'm not your mama..." Peach sighed. "Where's your daddy?"

"He's yelling at the guards again. Sumthin' about the seven others causing havoc and they're not doing anything to control 'em," Baby Bowser said. "Why, you wanna see Poppa?"

"I'd like to..." Peach started to say, but was interrupted by a crash in the background. Seven different turtles piled into the room and Peach recognized them as the Koopalings, Bowser's first seven children. A roar behind them indicated Bowser was close behind.

"I swear, it was Lemmy who wrecked your Clown Car, Dad!" Iggy shouted. "He wants to join the circus!"

"THE CIRCUS! THE CIRCUS! IT'S FUN!" Lemmy shouted. Unfortunately, he shouted right into both Morton and Roy's ears, earning him a punch from both the brothers. Larry, Ludwig and Wendy each looked like they had a headache and were terrified of their fast approaching father.

"IF I'VE TOLD YOU ONCE, I'VE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES!!" Bowser roared. "DON'T TOUCH MY CLOWN CAR!"

Before the Koopa King could let loose a flamethrower, Baby Bowser piped up. "Poppa! Momma Peach is on the line!"

"Junior, I already said I'm not your mama!" Peach snapped.

"I know!" Baby Bowser said. "But I like calling you that!"

Bowser, on the other hand, had quit chasing his seven children and hurried over to the computer with a happy look on his face. "Peach! Why could you be calling me? Did you finally ditch Ike and decide we should legalize our old marriage?"

_"You wish," _Peach thought. "No, Bowser, but I do need your help. We're under attack over here and something just threw Luigi right through the window. Ike wants to go in and try to save everyone but I'm terrified that he might end up dead."

"Yeah? Where's Mario then, eh?" Bowser grumbled. "That hero, always taking everything from me..."

"Mario's also in trouble..." Peach said softly. "He hasn't come back. The message we got is that some Toads were killed by a monster, but they're coming back to life and causing more havoc. Please Bowser...you're the only one I can turn to. Please!"

"Vell izzn't zis a switch!" Ludwig laughed. The eldest of the Kooplings stood up and looked at Peach through the screen. "Und wvy should our father, zee enemy of your people, 'elp you in your time of need?"

"Yeah!" Wendy put in. "You've been enemies for years! Why should he help you?!"

"KIDS, ENOUGH!" Bowser roared.

Peach, on the other hand, decided to answer them. "I've asked for your father's help before. And he actually helped us save the world. If he could do that, I'm certain he can help us now. We're in terrible danger, Koopalings...people are dying," she said softly.

A heavy silence hung over Bowser and his kids. Baby Bowser tugged on his dad's arm and said, "We gotta help her! If Momma Peach dies, then the Mushroom Kingdom will be in trouble and no one will save it and we can't cause our own trouble!"

"Junior, shut up," Wendy mumbled.

"No, I think we should go, sis!" Morton piped up. "Let's go be heroes for a while and then become villains again!"

"I wanna join the circus!" Lemmy cried, earning a nasty smack from Roy. The bully Koopaling growled at his older, but smaller, brother and clenched his fists.

"How about I smack some sense in you and you go join the nutbars in the nuthouse?"

"SILENCE!" Ludwig shouted. The eldest Koopling folded his arms and faced Peach again, taking on an air of arrogance. "You still have not told us wvy ve should get involved."

Peach started to say something else, but TEC suddenly spoke up. "Princess Peach, there's disturbance outside the castle. Bringing it up on the monitor right now..." and the screen suddenly showed a small picture of zombified Toads moving in closer to the main gates. On Bowser's side of the computer, the eight children and the king each gasped at the sight and Wendy screamed loudly.

"THAT'S DISGUSTING!!"

Peach also looked horrified. "Those Toads are part of my guard unit here in the castle and Toad Town...if they can't even handle it, we're doomed!"

"Hang on, Peach. We're coming to help you. Kids! Get your magic scepters!" Bowser roared loudly. "AND NO ARGUING!"

The screen went blank and Peach heaved a sigh. She hadn't actually expected that to work, but she thanked the Star Spirits it did and Bowser was on his way. The Mushroom Princess thanked TEC for the transmission and rushed out, making sure to turn the lights off again.

By the time Peach reached the throne room, Bowser and his eight kids already arrived. Daisy and Ike could not believe their eyes, but Peach cheered happily and greeted Bowser with relief.

"Peach, the situation is dire," Ike finally said. "I can't sit here and do nothing."

"Just relax, blue boy," Boswer chuckled darkly. "We'll go and exterminate these pests AND find out what's causing these undead freaks to appear."

"Dad, do I have to go?" Wendy whined.

"YES!" Bowser snapped.

"No," Peach said. Everyone turned to look at her oddly. "Wendy can stay here with Toadsworth, Luigi and Daisy. I'll go."

Pandemonium erupted from all sides of the room. Ike, Bowser and Toadsworth were completely against Peach's idea and the Koopalings thought it was hilarious to watch the adults argue. A loud crash interrupted the chaos and everyone turned to the source. Wendy, Larry, Lemmy, Peach and Daisy screamed loudly at the intruder. Delta Nemesis had found his way in.

Bowser snorted. "Woo, check out the newest contestant for the Ugly Show!" he chuckled. Flames began to lick around his mouth. Ike gripped Ragnell tight and gritted his teeth. Delta Nemesis was covered in blood and the future king suspected it was the blood of his future people.

"You'll pay for what you've done, freak!" he yelled, running forward to strike with Aether. Bowser also moved forward to expel hot fire breath, which seemed to freak Delta out. The monster recoiled and held up his arms in front of him, as if he could ward off fire. As Bowser exhaled the fire, Delta screamed in terror and ran out the same way he came.

"After him!" Ike shouted. Bowser and five of his children (Wendy, Larry and Lemmy were too scared to move) were accompanied by Ike and Peach and they raced towards Toad Town, where Delta was headed.

What Peach would find there will be enough to tear her heart apart.

* * *

Where was their hero when the Mushroom Kingdom needed him the most? The Toads shivered in the cold and tried to run away from the rotting zombies who were either former friends or family. Children cried as they were bitten by best friends or their brothers and sisters. Blood was awash everywhere on the streets. Would their prayers be answered? Or will they all die?

Was this the end of Toad Town and the Mushroom Kingdom?

"Look!!" a tiny toad boy pointed at an approaching figure. "I can see him! It's Mario!! We're saved!"

"Little T, no!!" his mother cried. The woman could already see something was very wrong with the way Mario was walking. He was dragging his feet and his arms were outstretched. Almost like...

"AIEE!! MARIO, WHY DID YOU BITE ME!!" Little T's voice carried out pitifully. His cries soon died out and his mother fell down crying. The woman didn't have to see her son to know the horrible truth: Mario was one of them and Little T...the little Toad who idolized Mario and wanted to be just like him...died by his hero's hands.

Mario moaned and was followed by many other zombified Toads. Rotting flesh was everywhere those still alive looked, from the ground to the rooftops.

The apocalypse would carry on.

* * *

**Nearly three months without updating this. I'm so sorry. ):**

**Updates to this WILL BE SLOW. The reason for that is I hate the SSB section and I find writing for it is hard. However, since this is in how I envision the worlds of Nintendo, this might be different. And OI is my baby. I love it and I want to continue it.**

**TRIVIA FOR THIS CHAPTER:**

**-Who expected the Koopalings? xD I love them. They're so cute and funny. **

**-Little T is a little Toad that writes Mario a letter in Paper Mario.**

**-TEC is the same computer that fell in love with Peach in Paper Mario 2.**

**-Moar references to Super Paper Mario.**

**Next chapter will conclude the events of the Mushroom Kingdom's apocalypse and move on to Hyrule. There will be a change this time, however. When Delta leaves, he will be followed.**

**Review! Show some love for my baby!**

**-Star and Delta Nemmy**

**PS: What is wrong with the goddamn section divider? I'm going to need a character to fill in as section divider sometime. -_-  
**


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